Men’s Soccer Wraps Up Homestand Tuesday Against Winthrop

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina men’s soccer team wraps up its four-match homestand Tuesday night when the Gamecocks host Winthrop at 7 p.m.

Gameday Information – #WEareCarolina
Series History: South Carolina leads 10-0
Trend: South Carolina won 10
Last Meeting: South Carolina 7, Winthrop 1 | Aug. 22, 2024 | Columbia
Carolina Win Streak: 10, 1978-present
Winthrop Win Streak: N/A

South Carolina Gamecocks 3-2, 0-0 Sun Belt
Coach: Tony Annan | 5th Season – 29-33-11
Goal Leader: 2 | Three tied
Assist Leader: 2 | Matthew DeJianne and Ethan Ballek
Points Leader: 6 | Ethan Ballek
Shots Leader: 14 | Ethan Ballek
Saves Leader: 16 | Filip Versterre

Winthrop Eagles 0-4, 0-0 Big South
Coach: Daniel Ridenhour | 10th Season
Taking the Pitch

• This will be the 11th meeting between the Gamecocks and Eagles.
• This will be the 7th meeting in Columbia, where the Gamecocks are 6-0
• This is the fourth meeting between the two teams since 2021.
• The two sides met during Carolina’s first two seasons as a program in 1978-79
• Carolina has earned four shutouts in the series with the most recent coming in 2004.
• All-time, the Gamecocks lead the series in goals scored 43-to-8.

Quick Notes

• This is the 48th season of South Carolina men’s soccer.
• The Gamecocks currently leads the nation in attendance (4,680).
• The match against Charlotte Thursday ranks 7th in stadium history for attendance (5,549).
• All three of Carolina’s home matches rank in the top-8 for attendance in DI this season.
• The match between Carolina at Clemson is the highest attended match in D1 (6,536).
• Carolina has led the nation in attendance the last three seasons, averaging 4,399 fans per game the last two season.
• Since the NCAA started tracking attendance in 1998, the last two seasons rank 4th and 6th all-time in average attendance.
• They are the first program to lead the NCAA in attendance three straight seasons since UC Santa Barbara led nine straight years (2007-2015.
• The Gamecocks have an all-time record of 540-294-87
• The Gamecocks begin their fourth season in the Sun Belt Conference.
• Yvan Malarte and Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez tallied a goal and an assist against Charlotte.
• Ethan Ballek tallied a career-high two assists in the win over FIU.
  • He finished the night with four points, adding a goal.
• Tyler Trimnal scored his first goal as a Gamecock against FIU, tallying a brace that included the game-winner in the 83rd minute.
• The win over FIU marked Carolina’s first comeback win since 2022 (USC Upstate, 9/6).
• It’s the first time since 2011 Carolina opened the season with back-to-back road matches.
  • 1995 is the only other season in which they played back-to-back road matches to start.
• Mika Habel has scored in back-to-back matches to start the season after notching his first career goal against the College of Charleston.
• Andrew Goldsworthy also tallied his first career goal in the win over CofC.
  • Freshman Matthew DeJianne has tallied an assist in his first two collegiate matches, both coming on goals by Habel.
• Carolina was picked to finish fifth in the conference by the coaches.
• The squad had three players named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team: Ethan Ballek, Alexander Stjernegaard, and Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez.
• Ethan Ballek was named to the United Soccer Coaches Forwards to Watch List.
• Alexander Stjernegaard was named to the USC Midfielders to Watch List.
• The roster features many new faces from a season ago with 13 newcomers, nine transfers and four true freshmen.
• They return eight starters from a season ago, in addition to a duo of Mika Habel and Junior Saint Juste who missed most of last season due to injury.

For the latest on men’s soccer, visit GamecocksOnline.com or follow the team’s social media accounts on Twitter @GamecockMSoccer, Facebook /GamecockMSoccer, and Instagram @GamecockMSoccer.